Adventures: walking, travel, PhD research experiences

Halong Bay

The loudspeaker on the nearby tri-decker cruise ship boomed out over the bay. “Passengers not going on the cave trip can relax on board. When those going to the caves return, French pancakes will be served on the sundeck.” There was no question that the cruise was about being pampered, and herded about in well-managed groups. It seemed that the beauty of the place the ship was visiting took second place to the ship’s organisation or the experience of others visiting the bay. In a Huxleyesque* response I felt pleased I was in a small boat with only 15 passengers and our guide did not need a megaphone.

The cruise on Halong Bay was gorgeous. The other passengers became friends, the crew members were delightful, the food yummy and plentiful–we came back from the cave to sliced pineapple and watermelon on our terrace–and it was a relaxing, charming experience. The departure was like a flotilla heading out at peak hour, but we spread out and found some less populated waters. It was warm, calm and peaceful. We had some off-boat activities, including a trip into the limestone caves, a visit to a pearl farm, swimming in the bay and kayaking around a fishing village.

The caves were stunning. Once up the side of the island (the first of the reputed 800 steps) and into the cave entrance, the stalactites and stalactites were complex and beautiful, many looking like jellyfish with long, trailing tendrils. The ceiling was scooped out in a series of smooth depressions, formed when the caves were under water. Many of the features were lit with coloured lights; red, orange, and blue. One stalagmite looked amusingly like a penis and testicles pointing skyward, and it was lit in red. If you followed the trajectory from the penis there was a large hole in the ceiling, which was pointed out with some mirth. The caves were huge inside. The contrasting textures of the rough, dribbly walls and the smooth curves of the roof, which dipped to different heights, made it hard to determine distance and perspective.

Some people will see a phallus in everything

Cave at Halong Bay; what is up, what is down? Floor, ceiling?

There were lots of uneven, slippery steps with limited handrails to access and traverse the caves, and Jim was rather freaked out; he’s had a fall on steps in the past while travelling. He braved the experience and I was pointing out each step, as he said he could not see. After a while I looked at his face, not feet and realised he was still wearing sunglasses. He saw a lot better after taking them off. 😎😂😂😳🤓 (I have permission to josh him about this, as it took a long time before he stopped teasing me about asking innocently about the signs in Europe that pointed to Allemagne and Deutchland, not realising they were the same place.) One of our new friends, Ron, a 76 year old Queenslander, walked with us all the way and assisted with the reassurance, direction, and being available to land on if we fell, which we fortunately did not do. His assistance was great. I tried to get him a thank you beer later, but he said no, as we all need to look out for each other.

Having a local bevy after my swim

Several of us later went swimming in the bay off the side of the boat. It was cool after the humid day, and felt great to move freely after a day that began with a four hour bus trip and included a steep climb through caves.

The captain of our little boat sat in the wheelhouse, which was also his bedroom. He steered, sometimes with his feet, sitting on a ledge with a thin mattress. A pile of neatly folded bedding was behind him, and clothes hung from a rail at the back. It was a bit like sleeping space behind the driver’s set on a truck. I walked past late in the evening and the curtains were drawn and soft Vietnamese music could be heard. The rest of the crew slept in the dining room on bamboo mats so he had relative comfort and privacy. He offered a 0630 Tai Chi class, which was attended by 12 of the 15 passengers. We did our stretches and lunges on the roof deck in the soft warmth of the early morning looking over the bay and islands. It seemed a great way for him to get his exercise and value add to the passengers’ experience.

Halong Bay was home to a large fishing community who lived on the water. Now most of them live on the mainland and the remainder still do some fishing the main industry is tourism. While I understand the importance of tourism to the economy, I felt a little uncomfortable observing them from my cruise boat as the little boats went past, dragging a net or with produce as a floating shop. We had an early morning trip around one of the remaining villages, with a choice of being rowed by one of the locals, or paddling ourselves in a kayak. I’ve never been kayaking and thought it was time to start. Jim opted to be rowed and hopped in a wooden boat with five others that was propelled from aft by a local wielding two oars. His rower was a man, yet most of the people doing this work were women. The kayaks were two person ones, and I paired up with Ron, who had not done it before either. It was surprisingly easy, and great fun. We paddled a rather zig zag course around the bay, looking at the people going about their daily routines in their boats and floating houses. They looked absorbed in their tasks, and took no notice of us.

Kyacking on Halong Bay

* Brave New World, where everyone is conditioned to be satisfied with their lot.